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Hark!

Hark! The Glad Sound of Cornish Carols – a new book for 2017

Having sung many carols popular in Cornwall over the years (starting with Lyngham as a teenager), I knew how special they were to this part of the world. I loved the canons and flourishes of the Victorian composers; the dance feel of the old ‘curls’ – ‘carol’ originally meant to ‘dance’; and the bare, plaintive harmonies of the mediaeval ones.

I began singing carols as an adult: Lyngham, then St Day and Redruth Wassail. I wanted to go carol singing and needed others to sing harmonies! So the Tregajorran Singers were formed in 1997, and I remember when we first tackled Merritt’s Hark the Glad Sound, we were so chuffed to get it up and running! Another carol we learnt was Awake Ye Nations which we got from a songbook from our Treggy Chapel, unaware that my Mum and Dad had also picked it up in Australia and were singing it in East Cornwall calling it Wakey Wakey! We now sing 25 Cornish carols but I am also aware of the many carols sitting unsung in the back of books such as Dunstan’s Cornish Song Book, Canow Kernow, and Strains of Ancient Mystery.

The Plan for this book will be similar to our previous publication, Shout Kernow which will be to travel to particular places to record the carols being sung in situ ‘where they do belong to be’, so Hellesveor in St Ives, and Rouse, Rouse in Padstow. As well as on particular occasions/events – Redruth Wassail, Bodmin Wassail, Picrous Eve, St Just Feast, etc. We also wanted to represent a variety of locations: church, chapel, pub, out on the street, people’s houses, etc. Carols are embedded in the communities. We hope to select ones that are most popular or meaningful to the area they come from or to the people who sing them.

The book will contain harmonised scores (as close as possible to what is recorded or written by the composer), two CDs of the songs sung in situ, backgrounds to the songs and composers and personal memories of the people who sing them plus pictures and photos old and new.

To help us with the costs of research we have produced a pack of 6 Cornish Christmas cards for sale at £5 (+ £1.50 P&P). Please contact Hilary at hilary-fenten@hotmail.co.uk if you would like to order a pack

Hark! Christmas Card

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7 thoughts on “Hark!”

I have CDs from Grass Valley, California, of their Cornish miners choir singing carols (we were there for the singing in 2013). You might be interested to see them. I can get them to you via Jenny C, my next door neighbour.

An excellent project!
If you want to relate to any Cornish carols to the Yorkshire/Derbyshire tradition, I could help. For example, Lo! the Eastern Magi Rise is sung at Coal Aston in NE Derbyshire.
Hopefully you will distinguish between carols sung in tradition as opposed to those that only exist in MS or print.
I look forward to the finished results.
Ian Russell
PS I also have many Cornish carols in my archives from a number of collections.

Yes, please do.
Best wishes
Ian
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Ian Russell, Professor Emeritus
The Elphinstone Institute
University of Aberdeen
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Getting far more excited in advance than is appropriate for a chap of my age. We have a couple of Grass Valley ‘Cornish miners choir’ LPs from late 1950s or early 1960s as well as a book of Cornish carol’s published in South Australia in early 20th century in addition to any local material Sue may have. Great project, nothing makes me feel I am where I belong to more than being able to sing the carols I love in company.